In Arabic dictionary aal and Ahal are same words which mean the family of somebody. In dictionary meanings when we use word Ahal, it could be used including wife.

But when the word Ahlalbait is used to its specific meanings, this terminology was used by the holy Prophet by himself, then wives are not included in Ahlabait.

Arabic language is very rich. In Quran and Hadith, many words are used in dictionary meanings and sometimes same words are used to its specific meanings (terminology).

For example Quran 9:103

“Of their goods, take alms, that so thou mightiest purify and sanctify them; and pray on their behalf. Verily thy prayers are a source of security for them: And Allah is One Who heareth and knoweth.”

In above verse word Salataka صَلَاتَكَ is used in the meaning of prayer, as we pray simply. For example if we say “May, Allah increase his knowledge”

Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.”

- Quran 3: 56

In this verse same word is used in the meanings of blessings.

We can see so many examples in Quran and hadith that same word salaat is used for its specific meaning such as 5 daily prayers.

“O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated.”

– Quran 4:43

Another example: The word sahabi is used in Quran in many times for those people who had company of someone or belong to some group (dictionary meanings).

“O [my] two companions of prison, are separate lords better or Allah, the One, the Prevailing?”

– Quran 12:39

In above holy verse word Sahabi is used for the fellows of Prophet Yusuf (as) who were with him in jail, they even did not believe in one God.

But when we use this word Sahabi in Islamic literature to its specific terminology, it comes to the Companions of the Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) who believed on him and they were in his company.

We want to give another last example here, we know in surah Baqarah verse 256 it says فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ , " whoever disbeliever in evil" in this verse word Kufar is used and appericited. Because in this verse word Kufar is used in to its dictionary meanings. Otherwise when we use the word KUFAR in Islamic litrature it means rejecting Allah and his messenger.

After giving the above explanations, we can easily understand that when word Ahlbeit is used in its dictionary meanings yes wives are part of that but when this word is given specific meaning by the holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh), wives are not the part of it.

We can see the examples how the messenger of Allah(swt) used this word Ahlulbait for specific people, not for his wives.

We can see the Prophet did not include his wife Aisha among these specific people. The holy Prophet recited the last part of verse (33:33) for special people

“Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the [Prophet's] household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification.”

The Prophet knows better the meaning and interpretation of verses of Quran more than anybody else in the world.

We can also see the Arabic grammatical language of this last part of the verse which is used for plural (majority) of males عَنكُمُ، وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ (Kum). Because there are males in the majority The Holy Prophet, Imam Ali, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain.Those verses for the wives; we can see the grammatical wording for females اتَّقَيْتُنَّ، بُيُوتِكُنَّ (kunna) which is used for plural females. It proves that the last part of verse 33 is not for the wives of the Holy Prophet because the gramatical langugae is different. Otherise female would be in the majority if wives were included, there should be female gramatical language in the verse!

Umme Salma the wife of the Prophet narrated the same story; in there Umme Salma asked the holy Prophet if can she also come under the cloth among these five special people?

The Prophet told her that her status is on her place, she is a righteous one, but the Prophet did not brought her to be with those five people ( those were the special people who are Ahlalbait for whom Prophet recited the last part of the verse).

There is also Hadith from Sunni source that Abu Saeed khudri (ra) narrated that the last part of the verse was revealed only for the five people, Holy Prophet, Imam Ali, Lady Fatima, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussein.

There is a narration in Musnad Ahmad bin Hunbal and Tarimdhi, Tarimdhi said it is Hassan hadith, the Prophet used to go (for many months) early morning at the door of Lady Fatima and Imam Ali and recite this part of the verse…

“Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the [Prophet's] household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification.”

The Prophet wanted to make it very clear for his nation by his action on who are the Ahlalbait, whom Allah intended to purify and take away sins from them.

The Prophet again showed to his nation one more time openly at the time of Mubahala who are the Ahlalbait. The Prophet brought these personalities Imam Ali, Lady Fatima, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussein under the cloth and said these are my (AHALI) Ahlalbait.

It was open offer in Mubahala to both sides that bring your women, the word NISSA which is used in the verse of Mubahala same word is used for the wives of the Prophet also in Surah Ahzab. But the Prophet DID NOT take any wife, he took ONLY special personalities (personalities Imam Ali, Lady Fatima, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussein) and showed to his nation again that these are his Ahlalbait.

We want to mention another hadith from Muslim the same chapter (virtues of Imam Ali)

In above narration Hazrat Zaid bin Arqam (ra) excluded wives of the Prophet from Ahlabait. Zaid bin Arqam gave his guidance that those Ahlalabait who are appointed for the guidance of Muslim Ummah, those Ahlalbait are not the wives of Prophet, those are having blood relation with the holy Prophet.

In Nissaie also it makes very much clear that the Prophet said “Quran and my Itrat” which is the blood relation of the holy Prophet (pbuh).

If we pay the attention on the narartions of Trimdhi and Nissaie it shows that the Holy Prophet told at Arafa that the Ahlulbait are my Itrah again at the Ghadir Khum the Holy Prophet reminded his nation that those Ahlulbait which are appointed for your guidancee are my Itrah!

It makes very clear that there are special people who are Ahlalbait, appointed along with Quran for the guidance of Muslim Ummah also for the guidance of companions. Because the Prophet (pbuh) said I am leaving among you.

The Prophet showed those personalities (Ali, Fatima, Hassan, and Hussein) who were present by that time and introduced the rest of personalities in other narrations. (Those are the successors of the Prophet).

We can also see about those Ahlabait that the Prophet said Ahlalbait and Quran won’t separate from each other. Ahlalbait will exactly do what Quran says, if you want to see Quran in practical form, look at in the lives of Ahlalbait.

We can see the actions of some wives against Quran(33:33)

“And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance; and establish regular Prayer, and give regular Charity; and obey Allah and His Messenger…”

– Quran 33:33

These verses of Quran give clear instructions to the wives of Prophet and announce code of conduct for them on how they have to spend their lives, because they are not like other Muslim women.

We can see the action of one wife Aisha bin Abu Bakar. She DID NOT act upon this order of Quran, even she was reminded by other people that Quran orders you to stay home but you are leading people for war against Imam Ali. In that war 70,000 people got killed.

We can also look at in this view that Quran orders to obey the people of Authority after the Prophet.

“O you, who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.”

- Quran (4:59)

If we will make interpretation of this verse according to any school of thought of Islam, Imam Ali(as) is the person with authority. We know that the wife of the Prophet fought war with him and led the other group.

We also find the narrations in Sunni source that Aisha used to cry on why she led the war against Imam Ali. We just wanted to show the proof of that kind of action of the wife of the Prophet against Quran.

She cannot be included in those Ahlalbait who will spend their lives side by side with Quran.

We want to give another example from Quran. In Surah Tahreem (66:4)

“If you both turn to Allah, then indeed your hearts are already inclined (to this); and if you back up each other against him, then surely Allah it is Who is his Guardian, and Jibreel and -the believers that do good, and the angels after that are the helpers.”

We can see the details in Quran commentary books and in hadith that the above verse is about them.

In Bukhari there is narration by Abdullah Ibn e Abbas that Umar bin Khattab testified to ibne Abbas that those two wives are Aisha and Hafsa, their hearts are deviated and Quran warned them (Bukhari –chapter Tafseer of Quran, kitabul Tafseer).

We have already given proofs that those Ahlalbait are special people who are appointed for our guidance, wives are not included in those Ahlalbait. Those Ahlalbait are the one that the Prophet ordered: “when you send blessings upon me, also send blessings on them (aal, Ahal).”

In Bukhari Kitab ul Tafseer (commentary on Quranic verses), we can see when this verse was revealed (33:56) ”Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: “

“O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.”

–Quran 33:56

The Prophet ordered to send salwat blessings on his aal (progeny) along with him.

We know that it is compulsory to say salwat in prayer. If anybody does not send salwat on the Prophet and his progeny, his prayer is not accepted.

We find the Arabic poetic words by Imam Shafi (Imam of Sunni School of thought). He says:

“O Ahlalbait, loving you is obligatory in Quran and anybody does not send slawat on you, his prayer is not accepted.”

We know that people ignored Ahlalbait, they did not acknowledge the special status of Ahlabait. They do not want to accept that Ahlalbait are the central figures of Islam after the Prophet. They try to give different meanings to the word Ahlalbait.

Sometimes they say wives are included in Ahlalbait, sometimes they say whole nation of the Prophet is included word AAL, Ahlalbait. (As we mentioned earlier aal and ahal are same words)

We have proven above that those Ahlalbait (Aal e Mohammad) are the special people, appointed for our guidance, everybody cannot be included with them.

We have mentioned above the hadith from Tarimdhi by Zaid bin Arqam (ra) that Prophet used the word ITRAT which means decedents of the Prophet. Not the nation of the Prophet.

In the nation of the Prophet there are different types of Muslims, there are pious and there are sinners (adulterers and drunk). We cannot throw those sinners out from the nation of Islam, their deed are not good but still they are part of the Muslim nation.

Are we sending blessings upon them in prayers along with the Prophet?

Those people who say word AAL E FIROON is used in Quran which means nation of Pharoah (firoon). We want to tell them that FIROON was not a single person. FIROON was a family name. That family was ruling on Egypt.

The word AAL is also used now a days in media for the decedents. As we know that AAL E Saud is ruling on Saudi and AAL E Sabah is ruling in Kuwait.

There are so many examples in Quran and hadith that word AAL is used for the decedents and progeny.

“Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran over the worlds -Descendants, some of them from others. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.”

– Quran 3:33-34

Quran used the word of AAL for the family of the Prophet Lot and word QAUM for the nation of Prophet Lot separately

”The people of Lot denied the warning. Indeed, we sent upon them a storm of stones, except the family of Lot - We saved them before dawn”

– Quran 54:33-34

We know that whole nation of Prophet Lot was destroyed including his wife. Only his daughters were saved with him.

Some people say how come Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) has descendants. His all sons died in his life. There are narrations in Sunni source that the holy Prophet said my descendants are from my daughter (lady) Fatima.

But we want to answer those people from Quran and we end our article.

“And we gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - all [of them] we guided. And Noah, We guided before; and among his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do we reward the doers of good. And Zechariah and John and Jesus and Elias – and all were of the righteous and Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot - and all [of them] we preferred over the worlds. And [some] among their fathers and their descendants and their brothers - and we chose them and we guided them to a straight path.”

– Quran 6:83-87

In the verses of surah Al Anaam we can see that Allah(swt) counted Jesus (as) as the descendant of Prophet Ibrahim (as). We know that Jesus has no father. But from (Mariam as) mother blood relation, Jesus is the descendant of Ibrahim (as).

Same thing the descendants of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) are from his daughter Lady Fatima (as).

May Allah (swt) guide those who seek for truth and send your blessings to Holy Prophet Mohammad(pbuh) and his Ahlalbait.